I bought these a year ago and paired them with a Marantz 7000n and a rebuilt vintage trio turntable with an Ortofon red 2m cartridge. It took 2months for the speakers to break in. The amp took a bit longer. After the did I moved the Evos around constantly to find the best position. I found the sweet spot then added some room treatment to reduce an echo and reverberation I had. Now after a year, I will casually throw on a record and get sucked into the chair. I just added a sub and got it dialed in. With a full range of sound my soundstage is wide, tall, and on certain recordings, steps out from the speakers creating a fully immersive experience. When I get these things turned up and close my eyes, I am placed on a cloud of coalescing waves while suspended in a warm gooey soundscape dream. Do you ever get goosebumps because the music is so good. So surreal. So visceral. If you haven’t, keep the dream alive.
I've had my Evo 4·2s for nine months now and I love them more each day. When I play my eclectic music collection on my Audiolab 6000CDW via my 6000A, I am enchanted.
Great review man- I really appreciate how you have the integrity/humility to tell us to watch the Zero Fidelity review for the technical details and you just do your own style. You’re genuine-That’s specifically why I watch your videos. I’m trying to find the gear that’s the best fit for me and that’s not necessarily the highest tech, fanciest gear out there. I thought these speakers looked interesting but I’m not very patient, I often move around and dance when I’m listening to music and I usually have several other people sitting in different spots in my living room so even though these might be great speakers they aren’t great for me! 10:17 seconds well spent! Thank you!
Hey Sporty, thank you!! I have the new buchardt s400 mk2 arriving soon, I have not heard them yet but the original S400 is one of my favorite speakers that doesn't require you to sit absolutely still :) If that's too pricey though the Focal Chora 806 are also one of my favorites when used with the matching stands.
@@NemoPropaganda I’ve heard good things about the buchardt S400’s but I think I’ll wait to see what you have to say about them vs the new mk2’s before I pull the trigger. Thanks man!
Thanks for this Nemo. I always get something useful out of your bookshelf speaker reviews. I think it's because you go for the essential rather than trying to be the perfect reviewer who would leave no stone unturned. Keep the bookies reviews coming!
Hello, I have the EVO 4.4 and I agree with your appreciation of the narrow sweet spot, to find it is: equilateral triangle, stand inside calibrating with pink noise ... and enjoy because you won't be able to get anything better at this price!
My son has the Evo 4.4's and runs it with a Cary Integrated SI-300.2d. He just bought a Chord Qutest DAC and the sweet spot became wider. The DAC has huge soundstage once broken in. Great speakers that sound better with the grill off.
@@larrys1911 wow, thanks, thanks I was looking for a DAC change and just one of my presets was CORD QUTEST, because I wanted to increase the sound space. How is QUTEST for Soundstage doing in depth?
@@luisrodrigonunezolguin7038 HI Luis, the Chord Qutest does have a wide, tall and deep sound stage. It is punchy with good dynamics, a rich toned midrange and a smooth top end. It needs 75 hours of break in otherwise the center sound stage sounds narrow and the midrange is peaky. Also it is sensitive to usb cable changes. My Luxman DAC is the same. USB cables that sounded good with the Cary's internal DAC did not sound so good with the Chord and visa versa. We also used a Linear Power Supply and that improved the sound of both the Regen and DAC. Othe dacs to consider are the PS Audio direct Stream DSD used, just a fabulous wide sound stage and detail. Also the Yggdrasil. It is a great sounding DAC. Larry
@@larrys1911 Thanks for your good advice and good options, the only thing that does not motivate me is that Qutest is not balanced and my whole system is, so one from PSAudio or Pontus from Denfrips seems a better option. Greetings!
Thank you Nemo, I don't want a temperamental speaker, I am looking for a set and forget speaker. You were clear and honest about that point, one must work to get it to sound good. Botom line: No thank you.
"Fussy", guys, "fussy", not "fuzzy". As in "very" particular about placement and "nagging you" into "sitting properly" like an English Victorian nanny. The EMT are very beamy, almost laser like. Doesn't sound good? You are not "sitting right". "Sit up! Look forward!" It looks good, it keeps up appearances. Also very Victorian. But it's damn strict in its social demands Wharfedale should offer a good 'non emt' tweeter to ensure FR consistency across a broader listening window. The EMT should be an option, or be left to desktop monitors (Evo 4.1) or "special use" with a single optimal listening position.
Love Wharfedale. These things are like mini towers. Don't love them for home theater but I don't think that is what they were made for. Had them in a music setup and it was incredible.
Nailed it. Perfect triangle. I almost sent these back. It’s been about 6 months now and the king’s chair is almost perfect considering my room kind of sucks. A lot of fiddling about but man once you’re in, YOU’RE IN. I supplemented with a couple 80 watt front firing 8” subs but if I could give these speakers some more real estate, I wouldn’t need them. If I want general room sound, I fire up the vintage.
Nemo, keeping it real for us. I'm glad you got them dialed in. They are pretty. Unfortunately, I have no space for any more speakers. Else I'd give them a shot.
I have these set up in my basement with a vintage Sansui. Thought they'd play second fiddle to the Linton Heritage I have in my living room. These actually sound more exciting than the Lintons IMO
Totally nailed this review! Especially in regards to the impact placement has with these! On a side note, I think it’s funny how Wharfedale plays these off as having 6.5” drivers. In reality they’re 5.25”. Not a deal breaker for some but let’s call what it is Wharfedale. :)
6.5 inches from the edges of the basket, not from the center of the surround rubber to the other. Wharfedale, and like many others, measure it this way. I felt cheated when I first recieved my Diamond 12.2... lol!
@@AbsoluteFidelity Lol.. Correct.. Being that I currently own speakers with true 6.5” woofers, I just remember that bugging me when I was auditioning the Evo 4.2 as I new my eyes were not deceiving me.
I had the same thought. They say the dome midrange is 2". If that dome is 2", there's no way that woofer is 6.5". Not a chance. If the dome is indeed 2", then the cone of the woofer looks to maybe even be as small as 4.5". That said, I've heard the 4.4's, and they sound (and look) splendid, and that's what matters most.
Apparently the new versions of these come with a fake plastic fase plug on the bass drivers, the earlier models had metal plugs that were attached to the back of the driver, i wonder if that would affect the sound?
@@NemoPropaganda i guess it was to save money as like you say your already getting quite a lot for your money and possibly it wasn't cost affective for them?
Another great review. Would really love to one day hear some input about the Elysian line as well. It’s cool that this line has a full range of speakers (center, tower, I believe two different bookshelf). For some reason just from looking at them they appear as though they could have gone the Elysian stereo only route with these guys as well.
'Fuzzy' is the theme of this video, and it's funny, because I bought the Wharfedale Lintons and it's the exact same story. If you place your coffee cup an inch to the left, or to the right, the sound will change!
I’m currently trialing these with the evo 4.c for home theater… I thought that the 4.c being a 3 way design would make for a good experience. So far my inclination is to go ahead and send them back.
make sure to experiment alot with placement, if you can get it right they really are amazing but if you can't theres no point keep them, they're just too fussy for most rooms.
Did you ever run them in a stack? You have 4 of them there, I've thought about doing this. Give more vertical sound stage which seems the only downside of this speaker
@@NemoPropaganda must be a cut in the photo looks like 4, but do they stack one on top the other nice and squarely? how do you think a stack would sound? increase the vertical sound stage?
@@StrangeBrewReviews that's a TV behind me displaying an image of the speaker. I don't know how a stack would sound, I've never tried it. I would instead use the money to just buy more expensive speakers.
Interested to know if you think these would be suitable as 2.1 home theatre speakers? Edit: Just got to the end where you mention how small the sweet spot is, guess that's a no for multiple listeners then
Speaking of industry standards, let's tell the subwoofer manufacturers that variable phase control should be an industry standard for subwoofers. Great review Nemo. Keep up the great work. 🤘
@@felixxia3604 No it's not industry standard unfortunately. Majority of companies only put on a 0-180° "phase switch", which is only switching the polarity and not changing the phase. Some companies that do have variable phase control do 0-180° and others do 0-280° and will have a 0-180° polarity switch.
@@NemoPropaganda Yes, 0 & 180 is just a polarity switch, it does nothing with phase. Phase is really easy if you have the tools. I made a video on it and how to get your sub level matched at your crossover frequency of choice. The video may make you motion sick because I was holding my phone. I show how to dial in 1 sub and then 2 subs and show how to check for phase cancellation in the listening position. A Umik-1 and the SPL meter in REW will be required. But do it that way, and your subs will be dialed in perfectly each time.
I came over to your channel taking a look for the Bowers / Wilkins 600 anniversary. I have listened to a lot of other people give their subjectivity.. and I trust that you'll provide some brutally honest feedback versus other products you have heard. I don't see them ?.. Thanks for presenting your vibe on audio products. The Community benefits from people like you speaking candidly and passionately about your perspective. Thank you!
Hi Kanga, thank you. It means a lot to me that you want my opinion on that specific speaker. I like B&W a lot but I don't think they like me lol, I have emailed them a few times for review samples in the past but never get any reply. And since I know that speaker is not an ideal pair for my amps I don't want to buy them with my own money just for the review. I think BW is usually best with warmer sounding gear which I do not have.
@@NemoPropaganda .. Understood. Marketing methods for some brands just isn't the same across the board. Gotta go with the flow. Thanks for the input and feedback.
@@NemoPropaganda - If bright highs are not your thing, you probably won’t like B&W without a lot of EQing. I’m probably taking my 705 s2 back to Best Buy because it makes my ears ring after a couple of hours. That aluminum tube on the top is very vivid and detailed, but it’s always dialed up past 11 and it doesn’t relax.
These are really great and affordable too. I'd even consider them, but then they have no subbass at all. The whole point of getting a bookshelf speaker that's larger than usual is maybe not even needing a subwoofer for proper deep bass. But this one can't even do the range where most energy is in electronic dance music for exampe: between 40 and 50Hz. Dissapointing low end on an otherwise really good speaker. There's a lot of other models that give you 10Hz more.
@@NemoPropaganda Sure, most bookshelves don't, but a lot of the larger ones do 40Hz. And they're still smaller than this one. That's what I mean. Cabinet volume isn't everything, but a precondition regarding deep reach. I bet they could've tuned it lower, but didn't because of other priorities. As you said, the kickbass is really good, meaning it's still a very fun speaker besides sounding good.
It seems like they cannibalized the jade series design and technology wise. I had a cheapie pair of the 220s and for the price the design and build was nice. I'd like to hear these speakers, I'm curious about their finikyness. I probably spelled that wrong.
I like the way you explained the subwoofer pairing. Is the Rel T7i more SQ or halfway? What amps do you think will pair well with he EVO’s or which ones to avoid?
@@MrEvhel83 and Rythmik :). Also surprisingly wildcard is an SB-3000 in a big room, that sub sounds totally different in a big room when it has to play near full tilt vs in a small room where it's barely moving, and I mean big like 20x25ft.
Chora is brighter & more detailed. Evo has a huge sense of space and stronger bass and overall much warmer presentation. I prefer Chora as the Evo is just way too rolled off for me even though i usually don’t mind that. Evo is just too hard to get “right” for my taste.
@@NemoPropaganda Thanks a lot! I was debating on buying the Chora 806 or the EVO 4.2. I had the chance to test the Chora and I had goosebumps, the sound was detailed. Unfortunately I couldn't find a retailer to test the Evo. So I checked some reviews on TH-cam, and your speach was very convincing, especially for low volume. Looking forward to get the Chora 806 with stands. hopefully those will pair beautifully with my Cambridge AXR 100.
@@NemoPropaganda Nice job on the review. Agreed, if I had to work that hard to get the speaker dialed in then concern myself with proper sitting posture and breathing and restrict body movement then I would not be able to "relax and enjoy" the music so it's an easy pass for me. I currently own a pair of WD D320's and in the past owned Diamond 9.1's.....both of them lots of ROI and fun without the fuss.
@@ferdi9554 I have not heard the AXR but Chora seems to pair well with most amps, maybe stay away from cheap class D though, it would make it too dry or analytical.
I really like these as they sound perfect for my listing taste which is mostly black metal and techno. What do you suggest in the 500 dollar range. My budget choice was KEF 350.
Hi Ragi, I would try to find a second hand pair of $650-$800 speakers. For example the dynaudio emit 10 I just reviewed is $800 but if someone wanted to buy them from me I would sell them for $500 (i'm not trying to pitch you here, just an example). Reason I suggest this is because there are not many speakers priced at $500 msrp, most are $600-$800 or $200-$350 so getting those more expensive ones on sale or lightly used would be best. Elac DBR62 second hand is usually around $450 which is great too. I have not heard the Q350, only the Q150. If they sound the same then I think the Q350 will be great for black metal and EDM.
As long as you find what works for you in your room that’s all that matters 🥳 you are winning! I don’t mind a bit too high but too low sounds odd to me.
Hello sir, I'm looking to setup a 2 channel system for my PC. I'm an audiophile and want something that will be a worthy upgrade from my current setup (out of box Edifer 5.1 HT). I would like to pair speakers with a Rel Sub. These speakers/sub combo would be for my desktop (near field listening). What speakers would you recommend Kef LS or R3 Meta, B&W S3, Wharfedale 4.2? Your feedback would be much appreciated!
Writing in from India. Love your work. Hey...quick question.... what do you think of the denon pma 600ne paired with the monitor audio bronze 100... contemplating buying...your opinion matters so do give🙏...thanks...
I like the MA Bronze 6G around $400-$450, more than that and I don't like it as much. Regarding the PMA600NE, I personally don't like that amp at all. It is very lacking in dynamics. The lack of dynamics paired with a slightly rolled off top end make for a presentation that I don't like very much. Some people like that though, it's just not for me. The two components might work together well but I wouldn't do it.
I have the 4.1 - be prepared to go through the same level of tweaking as the 4.2. I could hear the potential and played around almost daily. I was getting close to the return date and suddenly hit a sweet spot, so decided to keep them. Seriously, a few degrees of toe-in, or a centimeter of separation can make a noticable difference. I've never been a cable freak either, but I borrowed some to try out - I've never heard a speaker so sensitive to that particular variable. I'll probably never stop tweaking these throughout my ownership period, but I do enjoy the process! :) I'm eventually going to move these to a slightly bigger room, so I'll have to do it all again!
@@AromaFrank Any time :) I moved the speakers apart until the centre of the soundstage started to lose cohesion, then slowly brought them closer together until it started to tighten up. This distance was quite a bit further apart than my old speakers. They're toed in to fire just outside of my shoulders. Then I started fine tuning the position from there. I just watched the Zero Fidelity review as recommended by Nemo and I'd say that his setup tips hold true for the 4.1. I remember when I first set them up, I just put them in the same place as my old speakers and was disappointed. My amp is a Cyrus 7 with PSX-R, which is a little lean sounding but has plenty of power and control. The 4.1s added a bit of warmth to the sound that I really like. I'm going to audition an Audiolab 6000A and a Cyrus One soon - really looking forward to that. My old speaker cable was some Gale XM315 bought back in 1994. A friend lent me some cables to try - Two types of QED (can't remember which types unfortunately) and some Tellurium Blue II. I picked up some Blue II second hand off ebay. I'm struggling to describe how the sound changed, maybe I'll say there was a bit 'more' of everything. I was pretty surprised, I always thought cables were a bit of a myth - my old Missions & KEFs didn't really care what I hooked up with. Well, maybe a little, but not to the level that would make me want to change.
@@Valisk Wow thanks so much. I have them connected to my Audiolab 6000a. It matches and brings out of Evo’s more than what I had from the Rotel Tribute. I have the speakers placed inside a bookshelf, my room is very small 8x8, I have no place to move them out. I’m wondering ur experience when placed close to wall. Btw previously I had the Kef 150 and Elac UB52, both of them got fatiguing, so in this perspective I’m very pleased with the 4.1 but I still feel it’s not the best, so I will try to depart them even more like u mentioned.. maybe by the corners. Thanks again!
These speakers really appreciate a good amplifier. Using my Denon AVR they sound pretty good, with my friends ICEpower amp they sound fantastic. I need a good stereo amp now...
I like your parody impression of yourself. You dont sound like that but you sound hilarious when you do that with your voice. You should try and do some comedy bits to make us laugh.
@@wim1983 hahaha, indeed, I would if I had any :) My entire house looks like Andrew Robinsons living room, it's like Pintrest modern if that makes sense. I know some people like the contrast look of vintage & modern but I don't like it personally.
@@NemoPropaganda Really? I remember from Andrew's channel there are videos that show a tv cabinet with a grill same as my Denton 80 haha. Actually I think wood can blend in well into anything, it's amazing element to complement both audio and visual.
@@NemoPropaganda Polk canceled my original order for the r 200s for possible fraud because of a shipping address being different than my mailing address. So I was surprised they knocked 20% off which made the 200s cheaper than the r 100s. Lol.
Hi all, Nice evaluation of the speaker. I have now 1 week after seeing some reviews here. I think for the money a no-brainer. I paid €500 New sealed box. I have hooked them up to an Pioneer SC LX 58. I do not experience the fuzzieness, althoug sweetspot is not very wide. I did not put them on stands, but just on my tv cabinet. They sound great and even at higher listening volumes. They are not forgiving, cause if the recording quality is bad you will hear this. Anyway i like them a lot. Thanks for sharing your opinion. Regards Erwin
Hi Nemo, Thanks and yes the look very nice. I have indeed as you said in your review paired them with a SVS SB2000PRO 😉. Very good combo. I am also considering to get the Evo center (Evo 4c is very big and i hope the Evo4cs is good enough) and Evo4.1 as surround speakers.
@@veertjee as long as you have the space it should be awesome :). The Evo line is like a wild stallion, if you can tame the horse she will be loyal and treat you well, but if you can't it's not good lol.
Good review. Got them on my way, only €420 for 2. They where returned so I got a good deal, for that money I couldn't resist. Gonna use a smsl da9 for it, I heard it's great for these speakers (&also very cheap (€200).
Whoa. For a split (micro) second, I thought you were gonna tuck tail and run - like a soul sucking panty thief fleeing the local nursing home! But you pulled it out and off and came through with a valid (and reasonable) review. Kudos for giving Sean props! Great review!
@@NemoPropaganda Good call. Neither will I! Besides, these are not allegations - they're hypotheticals! Tasty hypotheticals, but hypotheticals nonetheless!
The Evo have a lot more bass and a much larger sense of scale overall so will sound better in larger rooms. I can see many users maybe not needing a subwoofer. The LS50 meta has a better presentation, is easier to setup, and has more consistent off axis performance but will not perform as well in larger rooms. Both speakers have outstanding build quality and very good sound when setup properly.
Thank you. You just talked me out of this speaker. That's something no other reviewer has done for me. I say that with all love. How many times have we said, "Maybe it'll work, if ..." When you said that you need to get them dialed in and then NEVER MOVE THEM. That did it for me. Not the speakers for me. I need to have something that I can pull away, or tuck away, because I don't have much space.
Hi Krish, no problem my man. I am happy to help in either direction. Sometimes knowing what you don't want can be very helpful!! If you like speakers that are easy to place in a room try and demo the Focal Chora 806.
Somehow I missed this one, I have new wharfedales and the build, driver quality and sound for the money is actually top tier. Whoever is running the company these days knows what they are doing! Great review as always brother
Sound like your head is in a vise with these-useless for movies of course, but there are competitive speakers that arent this finicky. Its one thing to “dial in” the apeaker ie pl;a cement, but to never move yourself ? If you are ok with that , buy some quad ESLs. Heaven in a straight jacket…
@@holdencaulfied7492 ah, so technically SPL stands for sound pressure level but the way I used it in that particular phrase was to describe a style of bass. SPL bass is heavier handed and draws some of your attention while SQ bas is more resolving and more integrated overall as a natural experience. Hope that helps.
@@NemoPropaganda Thanks, very informative. These are probably just what I'm looking for. I need some speakers that won't be boomy; my neighbor is complaining. I currently have a set with 10" woofers and are rear ported against the wall, reverberating the shared wall. Do you think these will be less boomy considering where the port is located?
@@holdencaulfied7492 i used to live an apartment so I feel your struggle my bro, the simple truth is any loud volume or bass is going to disturb your neighbor, the type of bass can have some impact but not very much. Instead of buying different speakers can you just turn down the bass with tone controls and maybe try to keep the volume down once it gets dark? I've found that helps a lot with neighbors.
I bought these a year ago and paired them with a Marantz 7000n and a rebuilt vintage trio turntable with an Ortofon red 2m cartridge. It took 2months for the speakers to break in. The amp took a bit longer. After the did I moved the Evos around constantly to find the best position. I found the sweet spot then added some room treatment to reduce an echo and reverberation I had. Now after a year, I will casually throw on a record and get sucked into the chair. I just added a sub and got it dialed in. With a full range of sound my soundstage is wide, tall, and on certain recordings, steps out from the speakers creating a fully immersive experience. When I get these things turned up and close my eyes, I am placed on a cloud of coalescing waves while suspended in a warm gooey soundscape dream. Do you ever get goosebumps because the music is so good. So surreal. So visceral. If you haven’t, keep the dream alive.
I've had my Evo 4·2s for nine months now and I love them more each day. When I play my eclectic music collection on my Audiolab 6000CDW via my 6000A, I am enchanted.
They certainly can be enchanting! In fact that's a great way to describe them when setup well :)
Do you still love them?
@@henson2k Indeed I do, they remain a delight. They are among the best audio purchases I have made in the past 47 years.
Do they „need“ a subwoofer?
@@nothingleft777 That depends on your listening preferences. I neither have nor need one; the bass response is (for me) clear, deep and omnipresent.
Great review man- I really appreciate how you have the integrity/humility to tell us to watch the Zero Fidelity review for the technical details and you just do your own style. You’re genuine-That’s specifically why I watch your videos. I’m trying to find the gear that’s the best fit for me and that’s not necessarily the highest tech, fanciest gear out there. I thought these speakers looked interesting but I’m not very patient, I often move around and dance when I’m listening to music and I usually have several other people sitting in different spots in my living room so even though these might be great speakers they aren’t great for me! 10:17 seconds well spent! Thank you!
Hey Sporty, thank you!! I have the new buchardt s400 mk2 arriving soon, I have not heard them yet but the original S400 is one of my favorite speakers that doesn't require you to sit absolutely still :) If that's too pricey though the Focal Chora 806 are also one of my favorites when used with the matching stands.
@@NemoPropaganda I’ve heard good things about the buchardt S400’s but I think I’ll wait to see what you have to say about them vs the new mk2’s before I pull the trigger. Thanks man!
Thanks for this Nemo. I always get something useful out of your bookshelf speaker reviews. I think it's because you go for the essential rather than trying to be the perfect reviewer who would leave no stone unturned. Keep the bookies reviews coming!
Thank’s CC. I have the luxury of not being financially tied to YT, this is all for fun so I just keep it real :)
Hello, I have the EVO 4.4 and I agree with your appreciation of the narrow sweet spot, to find it is: equilateral triangle, stand inside calibrating with pink noise ... and enjoy because you won't be able to get anything better at this price!
My son has the Evo 4.4's and runs it with a Cary Integrated SI-300.2d. He just bought a Chord Qutest DAC and the sweet spot became wider. The DAC has huge soundstage once broken in. Great speakers that sound better with the grill off.
@@larrys1911 wow, thanks, thanks I was looking for a DAC change and just one of my presets was CORD QUTEST, because I wanted to increase the sound space. How is QUTEST for Soundstage doing in depth?
@@luisrodrigonunezolguin7038
HI Luis, the Chord Qutest does have a wide, tall and deep sound stage. It is punchy with good dynamics, a rich toned midrange and a smooth top end. It needs 75 hours of break in otherwise the center sound stage sounds narrow and the midrange is peaky. Also it is sensitive to usb cable changes. My Luxman DAC is the same. USB cables that sounded good with the Cary's internal DAC did not sound so good with the Chord and visa versa. We also used a Linear Power Supply and that improved the sound of both the Regen and DAC. Othe dacs to consider are the PS Audio direct Stream DSD used, just a fabulous wide sound stage and detail. Also the Yggdrasil. It is a great sounding DAC.
Larry
@@larrys1911 Thanks for your good advice and good options, the only thing that does not motivate me is that Qutest is not balanced and my whole system is, so one from PSAudio or Pontus from Denfrips seems a better option. Greetings!
Thank you Nemo, I don't want a temperamental speaker, I am looking for a set and forget speaker. You were clear and honest about that point, one must work to get it to sound good. Botom line: No thank you.
It's great to see a 3-way design in this price category. Also real wood veneer ... woot! How good is the cabinet at avoiding resonances?
Maybe you should ask the designer to get the correct answer,haha😃 good day.
"Fussy", guys, "fussy", not "fuzzy". As in "very" particular about placement and "nagging you" into "sitting properly" like an English Victorian nanny. The EMT are very beamy, almost laser like. Doesn't sound good? You are not "sitting right". "Sit up! Look forward!" It looks good, it keeps up appearances. Also very Victorian. But it's damn strict in its social demands
Wharfedale should offer a good 'non emt' tweeter to ensure FR consistency across a broader listening window.
The EMT should be an option, or be left to desktop monitors (Evo 4.1) or "special use" with a single optimal listening position.
This is one of my favorite comments this year. I read that (i think) the way you wrote it, like a strict school teacher BACK STRAIGHT!
Love Wharfedale. These things are like mini towers. Don't love them for home theater but I don't think that is what they were made for. Had them in a music setup and it was incredible.
Yeah the top is too rolled off for theater IMO.
Why do you think they are not good for home theather? I planned to add them in my setup...Thank you
Nailed it. Perfect triangle. I almost sent these back. It’s been about 6 months now and the king’s chair is almost perfect considering my room kind of sucks. A lot of fiddling about but man once you’re in, YOU’RE IN. I supplemented with a couple 80 watt front firing 8” subs but if I could give these speakers some more real estate, I wouldn’t need them. If I want general room sound, I fire up the vintage.
Nemo, keeping it real for us. I'm glad you got them dialed in. They are pretty. Unfortunately, I have no space for any more speakers. Else I'd give them a shot.
They’re good but what you already have is probably great too :)
I have these set up in my basement with a vintage Sansui. Thought they'd play second fiddle to the Linton Heritage I have in my living room. These actually sound more exciting than the Lintons IMO
Totally nailed this review! Especially in regards to the impact placement has with these! On a side note, I think it’s funny how Wharfedale plays these off as having 6.5” drivers. In reality they’re 5.25”. Not a deal breaker for some but let’s call what it is Wharfedale. :)
Dude that’s what I thought!!! They looked small to me but I didn’t measure them.
6.5 inches from the edges of the basket, not from the center of the surround rubber to the other. Wharfedale, and like many others, measure it this way. I felt cheated when I first recieved my Diamond 12.2... lol!
@@AbsoluteFidelity Lol.. Correct.. Being that I currently own speakers with true 6.5” woofers, I just remember that bugging me when I was auditioning the Evo 4.2 as I new my eyes were not deceiving me.
I had the same thought. They say the dome midrange is 2". If that dome is 2", there's no way that woofer is 6.5". Not a chance. If the dome is indeed 2", then the cone of the woofer looks to maybe even be as small as 4.5". That said, I've heard the 4.4's, and they sound (and look) splendid, and that's what matters most.
Apparently the new versions of these come with a fake plastic fase plug on the bass drivers, the earlier models had metal plugs that were attached to the back of the driver, i wonder if that would affect the sound?
Thats annoying, i hate when companies due silly changes like that. It makes it so complicated for buyers.
@@NemoPropaganda i guess it was to save money as like you say your already getting quite a lot for your money and possibly it wasn't cost affective for them?
Mine have a metal cone that moves with the driver, some have a metal cone that seems fixed...not sure what, if any difference that might make
@@DomRivers67 the ones I have here seem to have more of a pronounced metal-looking dust cap that is fixed to the cone.
They're currently on sale in Denmark for what equates to 513 USD. Seems like a pretty good deal then.
Another great review. Would really love to one day hear some input about the Elysian line as well. It’s cool that this line has a full range of speakers (center, tower, I believe two different bookshelf). For some reason just from looking at them they appear as though they could have gone the Elysian stereo only route with these guys as well.
Thomas & Stereo reviewed the Elysian, i don’t think I’d review those myself. Too big, too heavy 😅
An eye opener wrt room sensitivity ! Great video as always... Short n sweet !
'Fuzzy' is the theme of this video, and it's funny, because I bought the Wharfedale Lintons and it's the exact same story. If you place your coffee cup an inch to the left, or to the right, the sound will change!
Spot on observations -- I owned these but returned as soon as I heard the Dynaudio Evoke 10s.
I’m currently trialing these with the evo 4.c for home theater… I thought that the 4.c being a 3 way design would make for a good experience. So far my inclination is to go ahead and send them back.
make sure to experiment alot with placement, if you can get it right they really are amazing but if you can't theres no point keep them, they're just too fussy for most rooms.
Good review. These are speakers that I love on paper but will not but because I need to move around
Did you ever run them in a stack? You have 4 of them there, I've thought about doing this. Give more vertical sound stage which seems the only downside of this speaker
Huh? I only have 2 :$
@@NemoPropaganda must be a cut in the photo looks like 4, but do they stack one on top the other nice and squarely? how do you think a stack would sound? increase the vertical sound stage?
@@StrangeBrewReviews that's a TV behind me displaying an image of the speaker. I don't know how a stack would sound, I've never tried it. I would instead use the money to just buy more expensive speakers.
Interested to know if you think these would be suitable as 2.1 home theatre speakers?
Edit: Just got to the end where you mention how small the sweet spot is, guess that's a no for multiple listeners then
correct!
Speaking of industry standards, let's tell the subwoofer manufacturers that variable phase control should be an industry standard for subwoofers. Great review Nemo. Keep up the great work. 🤘
It is not industry standard??? I didnt know that. Doesnt make sense.
Honestly I’d love to see some kind of auto phase.
@@felixxia3604 No it's not industry standard unfortunately. Majority of companies only put on a 0-180° "phase switch", which is only switching the polarity and not changing the phase. Some companies that do have variable phase control do 0-180° and others do 0-280° and will have a 0-180° polarity switch.
Richard, 180 is the same as 0 with negative polarity right? I hate phase honestly, it takes up so much time!!
@@NemoPropaganda Yes, 0 & 180 is just a polarity switch, it does nothing with phase. Phase is really easy if you have the tools. I made a video on it and how to get your sub level matched at your crossover frequency of choice. The video may make you motion sick because I was holding my phone. I show how to dial in 1 sub and then 2 subs and show how to check for phase cancellation in the listening position. A Umik-1 and the SPL meter in REW will be required. But do it that way, and your subs will be dialed in perfectly each time.
I came over to your channel taking a look for the Bowers / Wilkins 600 anniversary. I have listened to a lot of other people give their subjectivity.. and I trust that you'll provide some brutally honest feedback versus other products you have heard. I don't see them ?..
Thanks for presenting your vibe on audio products. The Community benefits from people like you speaking candidly and passionately about your perspective. Thank you!
Hi Kanga, thank you. It means a lot to me that you want my opinion on that specific speaker. I like B&W a lot but I don't think they like me lol, I have emailed them a few times for review samples in the past but never get any reply. And since I know that speaker is not an ideal pair for my amps I don't want to buy them with my own money just for the review. I think BW is usually best with warmer sounding gear which I do not have.
@@NemoPropaganda .. Understood. Marketing methods for some brands just isn't the same across the board. Gotta go with the flow. Thanks for the input and feedback.
@@NemoPropaganda - If bright highs are not your thing, you probably won’t like B&W without a lot of EQing. I’m probably taking my 705 s2 back to Best Buy because it makes my ears ring after a couple of hours. That aluminum tube on the top is very vivid and detailed, but it’s always dialed up past 11 and it doesn’t relax.
@@danielhenderson8316 yeah i agree, I like BW but only connected to really expensive gear like Mcintosh.
I dunno if its a glitch or some kind of shadowban, but this vid is not showing in my subscription feed 🤔
Oh no 🙈 maybe i said the f word too much in the comments lol.
These are really great and affordable too. I'd even consider them, but then they have no subbass at all.
The whole point of getting a bookshelf speaker that's larger than usual is maybe not even needing a subwoofer for proper deep bass. But this one can't even do the range where most energy is in electronic dance music for exampe: between 40 and 50Hz.
Dissapointing low end on an otherwise really good speaker. There's a lot of other models that give you 10Hz more.
yeah this speaker has a really strong 50hz and up but most bookshelf speakers don't go much below that.
@@NemoPropaganda Sure, most bookshelves don't, but a lot of the larger ones do 40Hz. And they're still smaller than this one. That's what I mean. Cabinet volume isn't everything, but a precondition regarding deep reach. I bet they could've tuned it lower, but didn't because of other priorities. As you said, the kickbass is really good, meaning it's still a very fun speaker besides sounding good.
It seems like they cannibalized the jade series design and technology wise. I had a cheapie pair of the 220s and for the price the design and build was nice. I'd like to hear these speakers, I'm curious about their finikyness. I probably spelled that wrong.
My understanding is that the tech was handed down from the Elysian series
I like the way you explained the subwoofer pairing. Is the Rel T7i more SQ or halfway? What amps do you think will pair well with he EVO’s or which ones to avoid?
Hi Anthony, all current model REL subs are SQ subwoofers :).
@@NemoPropaganda i would go so far as to say REL is the ONLY subs for music/hifi if you want the best music performance.
@@MrEvhel83 and Rythmik :). Also surprisingly wildcard is an SB-3000 in a big room, that sub sounds totally different in a big room when it has to play near full tilt vs in a small room where it's barely moving, and I mean big like 20x25ft.
Good stuff as usual. What were your impressions compared to the Focal Chora 806?
Chora is brighter & more detailed. Evo has a huge sense of space and stronger bass and overall much warmer presentation. I prefer Chora as the Evo is just way too rolled off for me even though i usually don’t mind that. Evo is just too hard to get “right” for my taste.
@@NemoPropaganda Thanks a lot! I was debating on buying the Chora 806 or the EVO 4.2. I had the chance to test the Chora and I had goosebumps, the sound was detailed. Unfortunately I couldn't find a retailer to test the Evo. So I checked some reviews on TH-cam, and your speach was very convincing, especially for low volume. Looking forward to get the Chora 806 with stands. hopefully those will pair beautifully with my Cambridge AXR 100.
@@NemoPropaganda Nice job on the review. Agreed, if I had to work that hard to get the speaker dialed in then concern myself with proper sitting posture and breathing and restrict body movement then I would not be able to "relax and enjoy" the music so it's an easy pass for me. I currently own a pair of WD D320's and in the past owned Diamond 9.1's.....both of them lots of ROI and fun without the fuss.
@@ferdi9554 I have not heard the AXR but Chora seems to pair well with most amps, maybe stay away from cheap class D though, it would make it too dry or analytical.
@@Audioloon The ROI is there as long as you don't move an inch :D
I really like these as they sound perfect for my listing taste which is mostly black metal and techno. What do you suggest in the 500 dollar range. My budget choice was KEF 350.
Hi Ragi, I would try to find a second hand pair of $650-$800 speakers. For example the dynaudio emit 10 I just reviewed is $800 but if someone wanted to buy them from me I would sell them for $500 (i'm not trying to pitch you here, just an example). Reason I suggest this is because there are not many speakers priced at $500 msrp, most are $600-$800 or $200-$350 so getting those more expensive ones on sale or lightly used would be best. Elac DBR62 second hand is usually around $450 which is great too. I have not heard the Q350, only the Q150. If they sound the same then I think the Q350 will be great for black metal and EDM.
Awesome review!! These are some beefy big boys! What speaker stands are you using?
I have a few but the ones shown here are the Revel Concerta2 specific stands.
Cool. Are those the 'proper' height stands?
The stands are for the video, i have many stands here to choose from and experiment with :).
@@NemoPropaganda I've found that I prefer higher tweeter positioning rather than lower but they are different L/C/R's than these.
As long as you find what works for you in your room that’s all that matters 🥳 you are winning! I don’t mind a bit too high but too low sounds odd to me.
Very, very humble review. Loved it. We need more of that type of content. Subscribed.
Aye! Thanks Captain I appreciate that.
Hello sir, I'm looking to setup a 2 channel system for my PC. I'm an audiophile and want something that will be a worthy upgrade from my current setup (out of box Edifer 5.1 HT). I would like to pair speakers with a Rel Sub. These speakers/sub combo would be for my desktop (near field listening). What speakers would you recommend Kef LS or R3 Meta, B&W S3, Wharfedale 4.2? Your feedback would be much appreciated!
Hi, unfortunately I do not have any experience with desktop audio.
Writing in from India. Love your work. Hey...quick question.... what do you think of the denon pma 600ne paired with the monitor audio bronze 100... contemplating buying...your opinion matters so do give🙏...thanks...
I like the MA Bronze 6G around $400-$450, more than that and I don't like it as much. Regarding the PMA600NE, I personally don't like that amp at all. It is very lacking in dynamics. The lack of dynamics paired with a slightly rolled off top end make for a presentation that I don't like very much. Some people like that though, it's just not for me. The two components might work together well but I wouldn't do it.
thanks
Will you pls review the Evo 4.1 ?
I'm not sure, possibly :)
I have the 4.1 - be prepared to go through the same level of tweaking as the 4.2. I could hear the potential and played around almost daily. I was getting close to the return date and suddenly hit a sweet spot, so decided to keep them. Seriously, a few degrees of toe-in, or a centimeter of separation can make a noticable difference. I've never been a cable freak either, but I borrowed some to try out - I've never heard a speaker so sensitive to that particular variable. I'll probably never stop tweaking these throughout my ownership period, but I do enjoy the process! :)
I'm eventually going to move these to a slightly bigger room, so I'll have to do it all again!
@@Valisk Thanks for sharing. So how did it end up serving you it’s best? Any tips? And what cable did you find makes a difference?
@@AromaFrank Any time :) I moved the speakers apart until the centre of the soundstage started to lose cohesion, then slowly brought them closer together until it started to tighten up. This distance was quite a bit further apart than my old speakers. They're toed in to fire just outside of my shoulders. Then I started fine tuning the position from there. I just watched the Zero Fidelity review as recommended by Nemo and I'd say that his setup tips hold true for the 4.1. I remember when I first set them up, I just put them in the same place as my old speakers and was disappointed.
My amp is a Cyrus 7 with PSX-R, which is a little lean sounding but has plenty of power and control. The 4.1s added a bit of warmth to the sound that I really like. I'm going to audition an Audiolab 6000A and a Cyrus One soon - really looking forward to that.
My old speaker cable was some Gale XM315 bought back in 1994. A friend lent me some cables to try - Two types of QED (can't remember which types unfortunately) and some Tellurium Blue II. I picked up some Blue II second hand off ebay. I'm struggling to describe how the sound changed, maybe I'll say there was a bit 'more' of everything. I was pretty surprised, I always thought cables were a bit of a myth - my old Missions & KEFs didn't really care what I hooked up with. Well, maybe a little, but not to the level that would make me want to change.
@@Valisk Wow thanks so much. I have them connected to my Audiolab 6000a. It matches and brings out of Evo’s more than what I had from the Rotel Tribute. I have the speakers placed inside a bookshelf, my room is very small 8x8, I have no place to move them out. I’m wondering ur experience when placed close to wall. Btw previously I had the Kef 150 and Elac UB52, both of them got fatiguing, so in this perspective I’m very pleased with the 4.1 but I still feel it’s not the best, so I will try to depart them even more like u mentioned.. maybe by the corners. Thanks again!
These speakers really appreciate a good amplifier. Using my Denon AVR they sound pretty good, with my friends ICEpower amp they sound fantastic. I need a good stereo amp now...
I like your parody impression of yourself. You dont sound like that but you sound hilarious when you do that with your voice. You should try and do some comedy bits to make us laugh.
Ahahaha thank’s man!
Wharfedale Evo 4.2 or Emotiva t2+ ???Nemo's pick?
I have not heard those emotivas but I would not pick the 4.2 because its too fussy.
Thanks!
It's a great budget speaker, though in terms of sound I would say Denton 80 is greater in sound tonal balance and classic craftmanship.
Denton looks cool too, my home just doesn't look right with vintage stuff though :(
@@NemoPropaganda aha I see, one tip is just to put them near "wood" haha
@@wim1983 hahaha, indeed, I would if I had any :) My entire house looks like Andrew Robinsons living room, it's like Pintrest modern if that makes sense. I know some people like the contrast look of vintage & modern but I don't like it personally.
@@NemoPropaganda Really? I remember from Andrew's channel there are videos that show a tv cabinet with a grill same as my Denton 80 haha. Actually I think wood can blend in well into anything, it's amazing element to complement both audio and visual.
@@wim1983 yeah he mixes modern & antique looks, I just don't, full modern all the way, that's one reason I love the Buchardt S400 so much.
I wonder why in our country this only sell for $670 a pair.
I don't know but that's a great price, that's cheaper than used prices here.
How it compares with EVO 4.3 in terms of sound ?
I don't know.
Do you think that those speaker will fit good whit my Rotel 11 tribute?
yes
How good is this against KLH Model 3 ?
I don't know, I have not heard that one.
Think I’ll get the Elysians and be done with it.
Love the cabinet!
I almost bought these but bought the Polk Reserve R 200s!!
Nice! happy with your choice?
@@NemoPropaganda definitely. The bass is so smooth.
@@IamVintage72 Nice dude, I really want to check those out!
@@NemoPropaganda Polk canceled my original order for the r 200s for possible fraud because of a shipping address being different than my mailing address. So I was surprised they knocked 20% off which made the 200s cheaper than the r 100s. Lol.
Hi all,
Nice evaluation of the speaker. I have now 1 week after seeing some reviews here.
I think for the money a no-brainer. I paid €500 New sealed box. I have hooked them up to an Pioneer SC LX 58. I do not experience the fuzzieness, althoug sweetspot is not very wide. I did not put them on stands, but just on my tv cabinet.
They sound great and even at higher listening volumes. They are not forgiving, cause if the recording quality is bad you will hear this. Anyway i like them a lot.
Thanks for sharing your opinion.
Regards Erwin
Hey Eriwn, glad they're working well for you, I'm sure they look beautiful in the room :)
Hi Nemo,
Thanks and yes the look very nice. I have indeed as you said in your review paired them with a SVS SB2000PRO 😉. Very good combo. I am also considering to get the Evo center (Evo 4c is very big and i hope the Evo4cs is good enough) and Evo4.1 as surround speakers.
@@veertjee as long as you have the space it should be awesome :). The Evo line is like a wild stallion, if you can tame the horse she will be loyal and treat you well, but if you can't it's not good lol.
Super fussy is all I needed to know, thank you.
like an ex wife :)
I have fishhead audio bs 1.6 ...the same specs but a little bit more beauty ...great sound from germany
Very nice, those are very good looking :)
You can more safely place a beer on top of a speaker wrapped in vinyl.
nah, the vinyl will bubble from the moisture lol
@@NemoPropaganda You're quite right NP. My vinyl covered outdoor furniture bubbled up and was ruined after the first rain!
@@willisbush956 oh man that's a bummer, I learned that from leaving drinks on my office desk, have a nice bubble now :(.
Thank you. I didn't know they were so fussy. They're off my list now.
Good review. Got them on my way, only €420 for 2. They where returned so I got a good deal, for that money I couldn't resist. Gonna use a smsl da9 for it, I heard it's great for these speakers (&also very cheap (€200).
woo that's a killer deal!!
Whoa. For a split (micro) second, I thought you were gonna tuck tail and run - like a soul sucking panty thief fleeing the local nursing home! But you pulled it out and off and came through with a valid (and reasonable) review. Kudos for giving Sean props! Great review!
Wait, whats wrong with being a panty thief?
@@NemoPropaganda If they're not being thrown at you - you're doing it wrong. Just sayin.
Using one's teeth (WITH PERMISSION) is also acceptable.
I will not confirm nor deny the allegations.
@@NemoPropaganda Good call. Neither will I! Besides, these are not allegations - they're hypotheticals! Tasty hypotheticals, but hypotheticals nonetheless!
@@NemoPropaganda 🤣
The 4.3 is great for music. I replaced it with a FAR cheaper 6” infinity tower for theater.
How do they compare to the kef ls50 meta ?
Thank you for your effort !
The Evo have a lot more bass and a much larger sense of scale overall so will sound better in larger rooms. I can see many users maybe not needing a subwoofer. The LS50 meta has a better presentation, is easier to setup, and has more consistent off axis performance but will not perform as well in larger rooms. Both speakers have outstanding build quality and very good sound when setup properly.
Nemo? …Did you flash us irreverent Cat A§§? 😂😂😂
I would never do such a thing...
Great channel 👏
Thank’s Mike!
Great talk as always bro
Thank you. You just talked me out of this speaker. That's something no other reviewer has done for me. I say that with all love. How many times have we said, "Maybe it'll work, if ..."
When you said that you need to get them dialed in and then NEVER MOVE THEM. That did it for me. Not the speakers for me. I need to have something that I can pull away, or tuck away, because I don't have much space.
Hi Krish, no problem my man. I am happy to help in either direction. Sometimes knowing what you don't want can be very helpful!! If you like speakers that are easy to place in a room try and demo the Focal Chora 806.
probably a good pair of monitors
Somehow I missed this one, I have new wharfedales and the build, driver quality and sound for the money is actually top tier. Whoever is running the company these days knows what they are doing! Great review as always brother
Sound like your head is in a vise with these-useless for movies of course, but there are competitive speakers that arent this finicky. Its one thing to “dial in” the apeaker ie pl;a cement, but to never move yourself ? If you are ok with that , buy some quad ESLs. Heaven in a straight jacket…
no resonance at all :)
I’m not bad
But $20 is $20
These speakers are nightmare in 6mths time don't buy.No parts available after 7mths.
WTF is SPL?
Depends how its being used, which sentence are you referring to?
@@NemoPropaganda Around 4:10 you say it won't be too much on the SPL side, not too much on the SQ side. What does that mean?
@@holdencaulfied7492 ah, so technically SPL stands for sound pressure level but the way I used it in that particular phrase was to describe a style of bass. SPL bass is heavier handed and draws some of your attention while SQ bas is more resolving and more integrated overall as a natural experience. Hope that helps.
@@NemoPropaganda Thanks, very informative. These are probably just what I'm looking for. I need some speakers that won't be boomy; my neighbor is complaining. I currently have a set with 10" woofers and are rear ported against the wall, reverberating the shared wall. Do you think these will be less boomy considering where the port is located?
@@holdencaulfied7492 i used to live an apartment so I feel your struggle my bro, the simple truth is any loud volume or bass is going to disturb your neighbor, the type of bass can have some impact but not very much. Instead of buying different speakers can you just turn down the bass with tone controls and maybe try to keep the volume down once it gets dark? I've found that helps a lot with neighbors.
No way I would buy a pair of speakers that are that focused where you can't move without the sound degrading. Terrible
it certainly is a tough sell.
@NemoPropaganda great review btw. Very, very informative for the average guy. Thanks
its not wood veneer....i own them...its very good but it aint wood
pretty sure it's wood bro, it's listed as real wood vaneer in most of the literature I've seen. What makes you think it's not wood?